Make a list of what you put your confidence in and sooner or later that list will diminish into nothing. Make a list of people and things that you put your confidence in and you will see nothing and no one compares to God, who we should put our sole confidence in.
Does that mean since we put our sole confidence in God does that mean we are to be negative about everything else in life? No.
Life is full of negatives but seeing the negatives might just help us see the source of our positives.
We, who were once far from God in actions and thought, God forgave us through the blood of Jesus Christ.
We now Christians, still on occasion waver and fall in trial and circumstance… yet God still encourages us.
God who sees our failures saw the potential that would come when we put our trust, obedience, contentment and confidence in him. These things of submission would allow His Spirit to do wonderful works within us that would overflow in godly actions towards others regardless of the situation or circumstance. We are found in Christ not the situation and circumstance. Our situation and circumstance should not define who we are but "who" we are found in.
Peter wrote: “As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share his divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
We cannot bring glory to God and receive Jesus’ glory and goodness if we aren’t obedient, don’t trust and don’t put our contentment and confidence in Him first.
Remember contentment “solely” in Lord brings about purity in our thinking and doing. “You shall not want.” And He will lead you on paths of righteousness because the Spirit of God will be free to work within you -bringing forth fruits of the Spirit.
“But when the Holy Spirit controls your lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law” Galatians 5:22-23
The law in which Paul is referring to is: Love your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39
Which goes right along with what the Spirit has speaking to us about living in the contentment in the Lord.
We limit ourselves in living in Jesus’ divine nature in our own thinking, our own understanding, and committing to those things in which we experience and see instead committing everything to the Lord.
There is no magic formula. It is a choice. You trust the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul and all your strength or you don’t. God does the rest just as you did when you gave your life to God and He gave it to Christ and you were “born again”.
It is not by human strength or power but by God’s Spirit who does the work in us as we submit everything to him.
Zechariah 4:6 says: Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
I encourage you to find contentment in the Lord. We should find contentment in the Lord every moment of every day. We should seek it knowing it brings clarity, discernment and direction from the Lord for our life.
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world.) Zechariah 4:10
And when you start living in contentment in the Lord don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others and your spiritual walk with others. All that does is cause division and quarreling. “Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.” (Galatians 5:26) Instead of comparing, seek counsel from the Lord, stay mindful of him and he will direct you. Remember we are all responsible for our own conduct. (Galatians 6:5) And… “gently” and “humbly” help that person back onto the right path if they have been overcome by some sin, understanding or thinking.
Don’t commit yourself to that person who makes you upset, irritated, or be belittled or ignored because that builds up resentment and resentment shows that you have not put your contentment in the Lord but in the person who has wronged you. Don’t put such a heavy emphasis on anyone that it actually lightens your emphasis on the Lord.
And in the same manner but the other end of the spectrum don’t commit yourself to a person who makes you have the warm fuzzes and makes you forget your commitment of purity in the Lord and, if your married, to your spouse (husband and wife).
“Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for you will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.” (Galatians 6:7-9)
There are people we know, love and appreciate that tell themselves that are content just believing in some higher power but that type of contentment only makes them slaves to the ideals of this world. You don’t have to observe their life too long to see these precious souls being tossed about in the cares of life. Their situations, circumstances and understandings rule their life. So I ask that you pray for those people that God has let you put eyes on. I ask that you ask the Lord to open their eyes to the true source of contentment (God himself). Do this while you continue to live as an example of contentment in the Lord to them and others around you as you share and minister the love of God with them as directed.
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